Hiking Hawaii's Most Famous Trail, Diamond Head
The view at the top of Diamond Head is worth the sweat and stairs.
By Cara Fasone
Whenever I’m in the islands I love to eat, eat and eat. Hawaii has some of the best grindz ever (We have a whole section dedicated to local kine grindz.) I’m not so great at portion control; in order for me to maintain my weight, I need to workout (wah,wah). I also hate the gym, so I decided to hike the most famous trails in Hawaii, Diamond Head, for some exercise.
No Worries Brah, Easy...
Although on Yelp, users said Diamond Head was an easy hike, I had a feeling it might be challenging for me when my hiking partners, who were gung ho the night before, last minute flaked.
My best friend, Judy, suddenly felt sick in the morning and my cousin, Matt, did not answer his phone or respond to my shouting outside his window. My friends are always down to grab a plate lunch, but disappear when I feel like being active!
Hawaii's most famous trails, Diamond Head
Photo by Cara Fasone
I totally understand though, from what I remember of Diamond Head, it wasn’t a walk in the park. I can’t get too mad at Judy; I hiked Diamond Head with her once, then bailed halfway up because I had to run down to use the bathroom.
I also remember hiking Diamond Head when I was in the 6th grade, as I mentioned in my blog on the Makapuu Lighthouse Trail, I was asked to stay behind on the next hiking field trip.
Eat, Pray, Hike
I decided since I was already in town and I was
on this “eat, pray, love” mission to enjoy “me-time,” I would hike up the
crater by myself. I’m so glad I did, the view from the summit of Diamond Head is a must-see when on Oahu.
The trail is 1.5 miles round trip and took me about 45 minutes going up and 45 minutes going down. There are some parts of the hike that are uneven and the stairs are tough, but the trail is safe and manageable. I wouldn’t say it was easy, but it wasn’t hard, either.
Diamond Head lighthouse from the top of the crater
Photo By Cara Fasone
I never in my life imagined that I would enjoy hiking, but with views like this, I’m encouraged to see what else I’m missing. The view from top of Diamond Head is breathtaking and worth the tears, I mean stairs!
View of Waikiki from the top of Diamond Head
Photo by Cara Fasone
Basic Information
There is a $1 entrance fee for hikers and $5 parking fee. Bring water, sunscreen and a hat!
For more information and history of Diamond Head Crater, visit the Hawaii State Parks website.
Map to Diamond Head
What are your memories of hiking Diamond Head?
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